A two-faced state?
It has often been said that this country has two faces – on the one hand, that of a prosperous Greece that is open to reform and adaptation, and that of a passive, indolent and incapable Greece on the other. These two aspects coexist and frequently clash. And these dynamics often give vent to truths that are sometimes exposed with dramatic lucidity, as is currently the case. Public opinion has been dominated lately by the intense concern and mistrust of state authorities in view of the phone-tapping scandal which recently came to light. Most citizens believe that the government handled the scandal poorly and showed itself incapable of rising to confront a difficult challenge; indeed, they see the government as incapable of effectively monitoring state organizations. Meanwhile, however, we see that this same government has made more systematic efforts in other difficult areas and has subsequently achieved greater success. The heralding in of tax reforms aimed at offering substantial breaks for those in need of healthcare and lightening the burdens of the middle classes shows a realistic and daring government policy which promises to put our country on the path toward real growth and restructuring. On the one hand, this government is slamming on the brakes, dragging us back into lethargy, backwardness and disrepute. On the other hand, it is modernizing and renewing, offering optimism and self-confidence. But the public has grown tired of this two-faced governance and particularly of the current administration’s lack of decisiveness and action. It is waiting to see promised reforms actually materialize, to see signs that corruption is being purged from public life and that the country is on the path to growth. The citizens’ trust can only be won through dynamism and concrete results.
